Women's Issues with Nudity

It is certainly - and unfortunately - a fact that many fewer women than
men seem to enjoy nudity, at least as measured by almost any index
of participation in social nudity. At clothing optional beaches there
are usually several times as many men as women. The ratio is even worse
in online discussion groups for nudism and naturism. Only in private
clubs and resorts, where deliberate balance policies are often applied,
does the ratio seemingly even come close to 1:1.

Is this because men are more attracted to social nudity out of voyeuristic
interest, exhibitionism, or other sexual motivations? Are women just
less likely to find the experience
of nudity (either privately or socially) enjoyable? Or is it
something else?

One of the most persistent concerns/criticisms voiced by non-participants
about the practice of social
nudity in any of its various forms is that it must represent the ultimate
dream/fantasy of the male voyeur. Though this is usually expressed by
women, many men (both potential voyeurs as well as those who disapprove)
may hold this opinion also.

Probably nothing short of actual experience can adequately rebut this
opinion. Indeed, it may well be that many voyeurs do harbor this dream/fantasy.
However, individuals who actually try the experience of nudity,
either alone or in a social setting, usually
find that being naked is so pleasurable and satisfying in itself, that
the issue of voyeurism diminishes greatly in importance.

Mature, psychologically healthy people who like to be naked are either
neutral about seeing others naked or find it pleasurable, but they still
derive most of their satisfaction from being naked themselves.

What about individuals who are immature, inconsiderate, or otherwise
are not in the best psychological health? The answer depends on the
setting. Except for situations where access can't be controlled (such
as beaches on public land), a community of people enjoying nudity
(or some other pursuit where nudity is accepted even if not the
main purpose)
naturally tends to exclude individuals whose behavior is disruptive to
their enjoyment, for whatever reason. Even in the remaining cases of
public beaches, there is often a community spirit present among the
regular users of such places that actively works to make voyeurism
and other disruptive behavior distinctly unwelcome.

Just why do so many more men than women seem to enjoy social nudity?

If an interest in social nudity is not a manifestation of
male voyeurism (or worse), then what does account for the disparity in
participation between men and women?

Although many men in our society are unable to appreciate
the pleasures of nudity, there seem to be many more deterrents for
women than for men. These include
greater problems with body image, concerns about voyeurism and
sexual harassment,
reasonable (though unfounded) worries about physical safety,
and simply the weight of social tradition that nudity is "offensive",
indecent, lewd, and immoral - and more so for women than for men.

But even for women who personally have overcome these deterrents,
are relatively at ease with being naked in public,
and have even come to enjoy it (perhaps a lot),
there remains one significant problem. Namely, because of all the extra
deterrents to women,
many more men than women choose to participate in social nudity,
and consequently the remaining women may feel intimidated just by the
sheer imbalance of numbers.

It is a classic self-fulfilling prophecy. Women are disproportionately
deterred from social nudity, so there are fewer of them, and this
itself becomes an added deterrent.

Why is it a deterrent? Not necessarily because of concerns about rude
behavior or even physical safety if there are "too many" men around. It
may simply be that women like to spend time socializing with other women,
no more and no less when naked than when not.
Women do differ from men in what tends to interest them, so at just about
any kind of social gathering like seeks out like.
Or it may be even simpler than that - if there are few women at naturist
places, both women (and men) will readily assume women don't WANT to be
at such places.

What can be done about the problem?

So we have a handle on the problem of gender imbalance in contemporary
social nudity. The essence is that women face a number
of deterrents to enjoying nudity that men don't, at least to the same
degree. Therefore, in any random population many more men than women
will experiment with social nudity. Hence in the absence of balance policies,
the resulting imbalance adds a further significant deterrent - a
feedback effect that makes the imbalance even worse.

Solution? The harmful feedback loop has to be broken. All deterents and
obstacles to the enjoyment of social nudity that affect women more than
men must be identified and either eliminated, or at least reduced
to the point there is no difference between men and women in their effect.

The approach for dealing with each specific obstacle or deterrent will
depend on what it is, so let's look at a number of cases we can readily
identify.

Cultural disapproval of nudity in general

The roots of cultural opposition to nudity in Western civilization go
back at least two thousand years to the ancient near East. Although not
without variation since then, the general attitude has been that nudity
is "offensive", disgusting, and shameful. Except sometimes for poverty
or servitude, no other association with
nudity is recognized except for sexuality.
Hence nudity itself if considered to be
inherently "lewd", "indecent", and immoral.

Although this disapproval certainly affects both men and women, it
tends to fall much more heavily on the latter. There are cultural
traditions going back at least to the Greeks that nudity is appropiate
for men in certain contexts like athletics. But for women, nudity
is associated, at best, with slaves, and at worst with harlots and whores.
"Nice" girls aren't supposed to let strangers see their "private" parts under
any circumstances.

This cultural prejudice certainly has to be opposed by education and
positive messages about nudity. The
prevailing opinion about nudity itself has to be changed, so that it
is rightly understood as something
wholesome, pleasurable, enjoyable, rewarding, relaxing, and
juat plain "good" in and of itself, rather than a sexual adventure.

Since current attitudes towards nudity are harsher where women are
involved, women will benefit more when it is possible for a person to
say without embarrassment or shame that she/he really likes
to be naked.

Social emphasis on body image

The tendency is very well recognized in which advertising and popular
entertainment promote (to put it mildly)
a very narrow range of body types as beautiful and attractive,
while most other types are regarded as unattractive, repulsive, or ugly.
But in spite of this recognition, these attitudes retain their power over
our aesthetic perceptions through contemporary phenomena like the cult of
physical fitness.

Again, the harsh effects are felt disproportionately by women, since (it
is believed) physical attractiveness is a woman's primary requisite for
finding a mate (whereas earning potential is relatively more important
for a man).

The fact of the matter is that only a fairly small percentage of the
population, either men or women, come close to fitting the stereotypes
of physical perfection - especially for people well beyond
adolescence (though teenagers seem to be most acutely sensitive
on this issue).
Failing to recognize and accept this fact is simply a way for
people to make themselves miserable.

Again, education about the reality of the situation as opposed to the
general misconceptions is the best answer. Ironically, it is the
widespread taboo on nudity which makes it so difficult for people to
recognize the truth! If nudity were significantly more common, it would
be a lot easier for everyone to see that most people aren't nearly "perfect",
and that we'd be much better off accepting our bodies as they are.
It's actually a conspiracy of silence, with commercial interests
like the clothing, cosmetics, and advertising industries the primary
beneficiaries.

Worries about physical safety

For many women, fear of rape is very real, and many men do not understand
just how strong or widespread the fear can be. However, there isn't any
evidence at all that most venues where public nudity is found present
women with any greater danger of rape than similar places without
nudity. A nude beach or a nudist resort is not a more dangerous place than
a non-nude beach or resort. If anything, the opposite is true.

The basic fact is that, as far as rape is concerned, there's safety in
numbers. Numbers, that is, of people whose very presence would deter a
potential rapist. A woman completely by herself faces the largest danger,
no matter where she is. In a situation involving public nudity, there
are others around, by definition. Violent rapists are very angry,
unhappy people. They certainly aren't the sort of people who are
habituated to the pleasant, relaxing ambience of social nudity.

Yet again, the best way to overcome this deterrent to women's participation
in social nudity is publicity about the facts concerning the true, benign
atmosphere in which people who like to be naked usually gather. A woman
who has any fears for her safety should be encouraged to investigate
the possibilities for nudity which are available in her area - and make
every effort to bring along a significant other or friend (or many friends)
when checking things out initially.

Of course, for anyone who is interested
in testing out social nudity with the maximum safety, an option that's
usually available is to
take the initial plunge by arranging one's own private get together or
outing with others from one's own circle of friends who are also curious
about nudity. There's no need for special equipment or unusual facilities to
discover the pleasure of not wearing clothes. Let there be more public
encouragement of naked ladies' lunches so that such things can be regarded
as reasonable and fun (and safe) diversions, and the organizer not
stigmatized as a total mental case.

Concerns about sexual harassment

As a result of much publicity, lawsuits, and government legislation, there
is now widespread awareness of the problem of sexual harassment in the
workplace. Such lawsuits and legislation have (so far) little direct impact on
what goes on outside of a work or institutional environment. So, unlike
rape, harassment can be a real problem in gatherings of
people enjoying nudity, just as it can be a problem at places where people
aren't naked, such as a beach, a nightclub, or a private party.

Where sexual harassment is concerned, it will not work to proclaim that
it doesn't occur at places where people are naked, because it can and does.
In the abstract the potential is, if anything, even greater. In addition
to all the usual openings some men will take advantage of to make
unwelcome sexual remarks or advances, a state of nudity obviously affords
many new ones. Staring and voyeurism, for instance. Or exhibitionism.
Or pointed remarks about specific, "private" body parts. Or even
excessive and unwelcome touching.

A program of education and sensitization is needed here too, but this
time directed at men. It needs to become very well known that places
which offer social nudity do not welcome men who have harassing
behavior in mind. It needs to be equally well known that women can very
easily develop a fondness for not wearing clothes, and at the same time
be not one bit more tolerant of sexually harassing behavior.

Some men will probably never learn to curb harassing behavior, but they
should learn very clearly where they aren't welcome. Most men who choose
to participate in social nudity for its own sake already understand that
sexual harassment is wrong, just as stealing and selfishness are wrong.
But a few need occasional reminders, and they should be reminded when
appropriate. Men who are attracted to social nudity for the "wrong" reasons,
or who sometimes simply forget their good manners, can spoil it for
everyone, just as inconsiderate or boorish people can take the fun out
of any kind of social event.

Almost all naturist clubs, parks, and resorts now have formal policies
that forbid harassment and provide for the expeditious ejection of
anyone who can't comply. But many places go much further, unfortunately,
with policies that exclude most males unaccompanied by a female, or even
all males unaccompanied by a spouse. Such
restrictions on the admission of single males to nudist/naturist
facilities and events are one way of promoting a reasonable gender
balance, of course. Such restrictions also
help to minimize harassment, on the theory that an accompanying female
will tend to keep the man she's with on his best behavior.

But there is a high price to pay for such policies.
Limits on single males are not the
best or ultimate solution to the imbalance problem. In the short run and for
specific circumstances they certainly work, but the overall effect is to
severly restrict men's ability to experience wholesome social nudity.
Consequently, growth in the general understanding of the real nature of
social nudity, and therefore its social approval, is curtailed.
Women who've learned to like being naked certainly don't want that any
more than men do.

Gender imbalance is a symptom, not the underlying problem(s).
The latter must be addressed and fixed, rather than just the symptom.
Increasing female participation in the enjoyment of nudity rather than
decreasing male participation needs to be the
highest priority. Recognizing the specific obstacles that stand in the
way of this, and taking appropriate steps to deal with each one, is the
way to go.

Related Resources on this Site

Leslie Nicoll writes of her long journey into nudism, a change
she describes as "dramatic, profound, and personally transforming."
She also has an update,
"I Am Still the Nudist, One Year Later" that reports on her
activites for the year and offers good advice for men and women
who want to get started.

This is a brief story from a couple new to
naturism about how it has enhanced their relationship. It is
rather special, since the pages you are now reading helped the
couple take the decisive steps to try social nudity.

People who haven't tried public nudity as adults expect that the
first time must be quite
difficult. If it is, it's usually only in the half excited and half
nervous/jittery anticipation of it - the butterflies in the stomach
stage. It may help to avoid some of the worst fears by reading
how it went for others.

Here's information on an e-mail discussion list that deals with
nudity and naturism. It can be used to trade where-to-go and
what-to-do information, discuss experiences, and delve into some of
the deeper social and psychological issues concerning nudity - with
beginning naturists as well as seasoned veterans. Consider joining
the list if you just want to talk about naturism or
you have questions you can't find answers for anywhere else.
(Both men and women are welcome.)

An essay on the gender balance policies
of AANR (American Association for Nude Recration) clubs

External Links

This site is one male's opinion on the subject. Almost everone interested in
nudity has their own opinion on it, and not least those women who
don't mind admitting they like to be naked.
Here are some other points of view, and other pages that seem relevant
to these issues.

"Julie Dailey, a midwestern nudist, has written several essays
about her own discovery of naturism" --
Woman to Woman (a letter to newcomers to naturism), and
Soul Set Free (a reassuring essay on women in naturism).

This article by Pamela Johnson was first published in the
nudist magazine Suntan in 1951. It is just as true today
as it was then. This laconic masterpiece addresses many common
concerns women have about social nudism and offers very
reasonable reassurance. Woman feel well understood after
reading it; they feel others share their concerns.

Another open letter from a female nudist to a
woman who is uncertain about her spouse's interest in nudism -
and the question of whether she should be interested also.
Based largely on Pamela Johnson's letter. (Also
here).

One of the primary deterrents to the enjoyment of nudity
that women seem to have involves body acceptance. This
photographic exhibit shows a variety of real
women without clothes to point the way towards leaving
behind cultural notions about what is the "right" sort of body.
"Century is a chronological series of nude photographic portraits
of women from the moment of birth through one hundred
years of age."

This photo book about large women by Laurie Edison
continues the process of showing real women with real
bodies to counter our rigid cultural stereotypes. Edison
has done workshops on photography at TNS gatherings.

A collection of links and pages about women and naturism.
"These articles are about women in naturism and their
experiences. This page has been created to help women
overcome any hesitation they have about trying naturism."